


Egotistic

by strawberryjamskookie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boxing, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Angst, Drama, F/M, Genderbending, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25030228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryjamskookie/pseuds/strawberryjamskookie
Summary: The last thing Minhyung wanted was to lose Jeno to the egotistic monster he had created inside of himself.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Mark Lee
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Egotistic

**Author's Note:**

> mentions of violence and alchohol! 
> 
> I'm super impressed by my writing in this story, I love you guys like it! please do leave feedback. also mark is a female in this story, hope that's fine!

The male with blonde hair tightened his grip on his own wrist. Squeezing it until he felt a little light headed from the blood clogging in wrists. He harshly removed his hand from his wrist and slammed his head against the dull blue punching bag in frustration. He could hear his heart beating hard and heavy in his chest, ready to burst forward at his opponents.

Then he saw her, upon ruffling the sweaty flock of hair on his head around, his eyes caught hers. They were pitch black, trapping him inside of her cage. Her pink flushed lips were slightly parted as she stared at him in awe. That look on her face, the concern, it made him want to wrap his veiny hands around her neck and squeeze tightly, this time clogging up air instead of blood. 

"Jeno?"

He grit his teeth against his lower lip in irritation, focusing on the way her lips barely touched and mouth resisted a move when saying his name. Jeno clutched his jaw and breathed out her name in a heavy huff. "Minhyung."

She seemed taken aback, noticing how her left foot stepped back, as if she wanted to turn around and run at this moment. If she was so afraid of Jeno why did she always approach him? If he was really that worthless of an animal then why did Minhyung feed his hunger?

"Nothing." Minhyung's head spun back and forth, in refusal to say a word. She turned her head the other way and began walking away, just as she always did.

Minhyung fed Jeno. She was the one who opened his hungry heart and filled it with ego that he refuses to swallow whole. Yet at the same time, Minhyung left Jeno's heart hungry yearning for fire. With the flick of an eyebrow she'd walk past him with victory as he laid there airless on the boxing mat in defeat.

He shook his head, trying to ignore and dispose of the constant thoughts of his opponent and her ego that would eat him up. Jeno wasn't going to lose. He was going to be the one staring at her in victory. Jeno was going to train his heart out until Minhyung was the one crying in defeat.

[C]▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

With the flick of a wrist the bottle cap flew off and onto the dark marbled counter. Jeno gripped the bottle in his hand and began filling up the glasses with Henny, one for himself, and the other for his beloved enemy. He replaced the bottle in his hand with the two glasses and slowly made his way towards the table, harshly slamming the glass down in front of Minhyung. As Jeno fixed the belt of his Louis V bathrobe he watched the way she flinched from his sudden action.

"Jeno," she mumbled, eyeing him as he arrogantly sat in front of her. "I was worried for you. You seem to be over training-"

Jeno took a curious slip of his drink and pulled it the slightest away from his lips. A small smirk forming on his lips, "Quit it Minhyung. I know you want me to give up so that you win once again."

Minhyung's hand jumped forward onto the table, in her defense. "No Jeno, listen, it's just that I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Jeno stood up frantically, egotistic walls building up to protect himself from the warm feeling Minhyung gave him. "I don't care Minhyung. This time will be different," he leaned forward and gazed into her emotionless eyes. "If I don't win this time, then I'm going to end myself."

With that he stomped out of the training facilities meeting room. Leaving Minhyung questioning if she was feeding Jeno ego or if ego was the one eating the man alive. Jeno was going insane and Minhyung needed to stop Jeno. The last thing she wanted was to lose Jeno to the egotistic monster he had created inside of himself.

[C]▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

The day was almost here. The day where Jeno and Minhyung would compete in the final AIBA World Boxing Championship against each other. So far, the two were victorious with every single one of their matches. Now it was only them left. Ego versus ego. This would determine who was the final winner for the championship this year, writing their names in history as victory and defeat.

For Jeno, this wasn't about pleasing his fans and the thousands of people who would be rooting for him. It was rather about pleasing his ego. Jeno knew one thing about Minhyung and him that the two had kept a secret for years, Minhyung was obviously much stronger than Jeno. In all the former small and larger matches they'd had, Minhyung had victory. She was the one who'd stand before Jeno, staring down at him with a small smirk and shaking his hand, knowing she was superior to him no matter how hard he trained.

Yet this time, Jeno seriously wanted to win. Instead of training in a normal way, he would bring himself to the brink of death to constantly, imitating the condition Minhyung left him in after a match.

Jeno noticed one thing though, unlike other times when they knew they'd be going against each other, Minhyung was very anxious about Jeno. Not in the way where she was in fear that Jeno was going to be better than her. But in a way where his manager constantly told Jeno that Minhyung was asking about his health again. Jeno assumed that it was because Minhyung wished poor health upon him.

Yet he noticed, the look in Minhyung's eyes as she eyed him during training. For once, in the dark and egotistic Minhyung's eyes, Jeno saw a sparkle of worry. He saw the way she bit her lip and always mouthed his name when he'd push himself too far. 

It was unfair. Minhyung was supposed to be egoistic and full of it. She wasn't supposed to look at him that way. She wasn't supposed to care about Jeno or try to help him even if he was at his last breaths. 

Jeno just wanted it all to stop. Minhyung seemed even more distant than he wanted her to be. She kept herself civil and barely practiced in front of him, instead she spend most of her time asking him dumb things like if he needed a water bottle or sweat towel.

Yet finally, the day was here. Jeno stood in the mirror doubting himself. No, he could do it. Jeno was invisible. Lee Minhyung was going to be begging for justice just as Jeno always was. He couldn't wait for it, the moment he'd get to smirk at her while she laid there covered in sweat, in defeat while he was praised as the winner.

As Jeno entered the arena, he was brought up with some frightening news. The referee grabbed his arms and was suddenly declaring him the winner. Jeno should've been happy. Everything he ever wanted was happening. Yet this moment, it was going on in a flash as the medals were wrapped around his neck and he was declared victory.

That was it he guessed. That was how Minhyung was going to treat him? She was seriously going to leave Jeno like this to let his own ego eat him up.

It was true, Minhyung had forfeited. Jeno couldn't believe that she would do something so dumb, knowing that forfeiting from the world cup means losing your job. Yet Minhyung took the stupid path that Jeno didn't want her to take. Sure, this is what Jeno wanted. His heart was hungry, practically begging for victory to fill up his ego.

Yet now, his heart was laying there empty. No more ego. No more selfishness. No more victory.

Now his heart was hungry for Minhyung.

Hungry to see her smile at him. Hungry to have her be victorious one more time. Jeno knew it now, he'd let Minhyung win every single day of his life if he could just see her face one more time. No one knew where she went, his manager had no clue, and the press was just as desperate for an answer as he was.

It all seemed real now. Bigger than Jeno's ego was his love for Minhyung.

[C]▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

A month had passed and Jeno was torn. In pieces he laid there every night reminiscing every single moment he spent with Minhyung. In a way, she had become the only friend he had. He had isolated himself from anyone but her at one point in his life, and she was always there for him. Even if she was the one tearing him apart, she was the only one who could put him back together at this point. Every single time she slammed her fist against the boxing bag was replaying in Jeno's head, making him feel like her fists were pounding against his heart.

Just like all nights, Jeno laid there in defeat. Although world wide Jeno was known as the champion, in his heart he knew he was the biggest loser ever. His life had now flipped over. All he did was spend his time and money on Hennessy these days, no one else coming his way. Drowning himself in guilt of letting Minhyung go.

Tonight was different through, for he had a guest, guessing by his door bell that had just rang. Jeno slouched deeper into his sofa, in hopes that the person would just disappear. Yet unfortunately, the person wouldn't stop ringing the door bell and Jeno was forced to put his glass down and help himself off the sofa. 

Upon opening the door, Jeno never wished for the person to disappear again. He reached his arms over to engulf the person in a big hug, but before he could move forward, two harsh fists were punching against his chest.

Jeno sighed and brought his arms down in defeat. In a way, he deserved this. Minhyung was allowed to hurt him as much as she wanted, as long as she never left Jeno like that ever again.

"Why?" She cried, "why'd you just resign like that?"

Suddenly Minhyung stopped and she was now staring up at him with pained eyes. Jeno didn't know how to react. Minhyung was finally in front of him and he had waited for this moment for so long that it almost seemed like a dream. "Because Minhyung," he grabbed her soft hands, "I couldn't go on without you. There was no point of victory if you weren't there to put me back in my place." He sighed, "why'd you leave me like that? I was so," he frowned desperately, "hurt."

Minhyung looked down at Jeno's hands that held hers in surprise. He was holding on so tightly, like usual. Yet instead this time, it was out of pain and not the desire to hurt her. "Because I didn't want to break you Jeno. I knew," she sighed, slowly looking up into his bright eyes again, "I knew I was stronger than you. If I won, Jeno I don't know what you'd do to yourself."

Jeno's lips formed a thin line. He could taste the hint of Henny and guilt at the back of his throat. "You leaving," his voice was raspy, full of pain and frustration, "broke me more than you defeating me ever could." 

He intertwined his rough fingers in hers. A small gesture to show Minhyung that she was more important to him than anything. "Minhyung, after you left, I noticed I was insanely in love with you. That I only tempted you to defeat me because I wanted to see you again."

Minhyung stepped back, hands still in Jeno's grasp. Her red lips slowly parted in awe and she frowned. "But Jeno," she sighed, "what about your ego?"

"But!"Jeno pulled her closer and frowned at the frown on her face. He never wanted to see her frown ever in his entire life. "I love you more than my ego Minhyung."

Minhyung could see it, the sincerity in his eyes. The way he seemed so sincere towards her. The mess he had made of himself without her. Minhyung knew it too, the mess she had become without him. Wondering every day if he was going to be okay. Wondering if leaving him like that was the right decision. "I," she smiled, "love you more than my ego too."

Jeno's pink lips formed a smile at this as he leaned closer and embraced her closer, diving in for a passionate kiss. How could it be? His enemy was now the person he loved the most on this entire planet. He wanted Minhyung to fill up his heart with love, erasing and all pain and small remains of ego left inside of it. 

Jeno and Minhyung knew it now. It didn't matter who was the winner or loser. It didn't matter who was victorious and who was in defeat. It didn't matter who was stronger than the other.

Because their love was the strongest of all. 


End file.
